Frequency of Depression Among Chronic Hepatitis C Patients Visiting Haji Abdul Qayyum Hospital Sahiwal

Abstract

Hepatitis C is prominently a hepatic disease whose infection ranges in severity from a mild illness to serious lifelong complications. Multiple organ systems in the body may get affected. Depression is an important complication in almost 70% of HCV patients. Objectives: To find out the frequency of depression in chronic hepatitis C infected population of District Sahiwal. Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study was performed at Gastroenterology Clinic, Haji Abdul Qayyum Hospital, Sahiwal during nine months from September 2020 to June 2021.Total 350 patients were selected by non - probability purposive sampling on the basis of preset inclusion and exclusion criteria. Beck’s Depression Inventory Scale was utilized to assess the patients for depression and correlate it with level of education and occupation. Results: Out of 350 patients of CHC, 56.6% were male and 43.4% were female. 4.3% patients were suffering from borderline depression; 42.3% were suffering from moderate depression; 46.3% were suffering from severe depression and 2.3 % were suffering from extreme depression. Association of depression with household income (p = 0.044) and duration of disease (p = 0.00) were significant while association of depression with level of education (p = 0.655) and occupation (p = 0.219) were not significant. Conclusion: Level of depression in patients of CHC is dangerously high. Level of depression in patients of CHC is strongly dependent on household income and duration of disease and independent of level of education and occupation.